Page 91 of Konstantin

He lifts my hand like it’s fragile, precious, and kisses my knuckles. The warm press of his lips sets my mind on fire, making me forget why I was just pissed at him. A shiver ripples through me, shamefully pleasant.

It shouldn’t feel good. It shouldn’t light a fuse inside me or make my stomach flutter like he’s more than just a monster in a suit.

I clench my jaw. I wish I could hate him properly, but he somehow slipped beneath my flesh and rotted me from the inside.

His grip doesn’t loosen. Instead, his thumb moves in slow, steady circles over my skin, a soothing motion that somehow tightens every muscle within me.

“You should also know…” he says, almost conversationally. “If you decide to take it off, it has an electric shock mechanism.”

I blink at him, yanking my hand away.

“Wow. This just keeps getting better. Tell me more.” My fingers squeeze at my lap.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, black remote.

What the hell?

“I control it.” And with the click of a button, he adds, “Now it’s on.”

“You’re fucking nuts.”

He returns to his breakfast, like this is normal. “And yet here we are. Now finish your food. After that, you can return to your apartment.”

I stare down at the bracelet, a trap masquerading as a gift.

The longer I look at it, the tighter my chest becomes. It’s a pretty little prison, wrapped around my wrist.

That’s okay, though. I may be his prisoner now, but I won’t stay one for long.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

EMILIA

The second theSUV pulls up to my apartment building, I’m already reaching for the door handle.

“We will wait here,” Maksim grunts from the front seat as I get out, rushing up the stairs.

As soon as I enter my home, I turn the lock into place, heart thudding. Not because I’m scared, but because if I don’t hurry, they may come knocking.

When I dial Gerardo, he answers almost immediately.

“Hey.” His voice tightens. “Everything okay?”

“Sort of. A lot’s happened since we last spoke.”

“Did he do something?” His tone shifts instantly to protective, and I can’t help but smile.

As a kid, I used to wish he was my real father. It was one of the many fairy tales I dreamed up, along with living in a giant mansion with a prince who adored me.

Well, I did get my mansion...but I definitely got the villain instead of the prince.

“Yes and no,” I tell him. “There was a shooting. It happened during a work trip. The DeLuca crew found us and tried to kill him.”

“What?” His breath quickens. “You didn’t get hurt, right?”

“No, I’m fine. But I saved his life by taking out two high-ranking guys. Now there’s a bounty on me.”

Silence stretches between us before he speaks again, his voice low with frustration. “Damn it, Emilia. This is exactly what I was afraid of.”